Photoshop Shortcuts

This post is going to list all of the Photoshop shortcuts that I use on a regular basis. You can find these shortcuts in many places, but I figured, while you are here looking at other helpful lessons and product reviews, you might catch a couple of these and put them to use.

Call me a nerd, but when I learn how to do something faster and more efficient in a program, especially when it’s an action I perform frequently, I am overjoyed! Just in case you were wondering, these shortcuts aren’t going to create masterpieces all by themselves. They are shortcuts to save you time, to give you an alternative and more effective way of performing the small tasks that make up the masterpiece. I have learned some of these shortcuts online, from my friends, or came across them myself by chance during my years of using Photoshop.

Whenever I find a new one, or atleast a new one for me, I’ll add it to this post! Here we go…

1. V

The move (arrow) tool is like the default tool. Quickly jump to it by hitting V

2. Layer Selecting

There are several ways to highlight whichever layer(s) you need. You can click on them in your Layer drop down window or RIGHT Click on the image/ object and select it.

Sometimes you want to select several layers at once or perhaps you have 5 or 6 layers on top of each other and your list of layers is really long. Instead of searching through it, hit V to get your move tool, then HOLD Control, click and drag across the layers to select them all.

3. Zoom in/ Zoom out

If you are using an actual mouse, which hopefully you are if you’re in Photoshop, Zoom by HOLDING Alt and Scrolling your mouse wheel.

4. The SHIFT Key

If you want things to be straight or proportional you can probably hold shift and get what you want.

– HOLD SHIFT with lines or brushes to create perfectly straight lines. You can also click the paint brush once and before you hit it again, HOLD SHIFT to make a straight line between the two clicks

-HOLD SHIFT when using the Marquee tool to create a selection from the center outwards

-HOLD SHIFT with the Marquee tool to toggle to the ‘Add to Selection’ option

-HOLD SHIFT when moving layers to move them along a straight line

5. The ALT Key

– HOLD ALTwith any layer(s) selected and drag. Now you have copies of the layer(s). This is one of my Favorites and so much quicker than any ‘alternative’!

-HOLD ALT with the Marquee tool to toggle to the ‘Subtract from Selection’ option

– HOLD ALT with painting tools to bring up the ‘Dropper’ tool to select colors

6. The CTRL Key

– HOLD CTRL with Move tool and drag to select layer(s)

– HOLD CTRL with any other tool to momentarily access Move tool

– HOLD CTRL when moving layers to have more precise ‘control’ of the placement

7. CTRL + ALT + Z

For some reason, unlike basically every other program in the world, CTRL-Z does not work the same way in Photoshop. It allows you to undo and redo one single action. Instead, use CTRL + ALT + Z to undo multiple actions

8 CTRL + T

Hitting this combination will bring up the free transform box on your layer.

9. Free Transform Options

With the free transform tool active:

Hold ALT to scale from the center outwards.

Hold ALT + SHIFT to scale from the center outwards and in proportion

Hold CTRL to Distort the layer

Hold CTRL + SHIFT to Skew the layer

While in Free Transform, you can also right click on the layer to bring up a list of all the transform options!

10. Inverse Selection

When cutting things out of layers, like a person with a background, you can use your lasso tools to outline the person. But now you have selected to delete the part that you want to keep. No Worries!

Hit CTRL + SHIFT + I (the letter i) to select everything except what you traced.

There are many more shortcuts but these are the ten that come to my mind first, probably because they’re the ones I use most often. Check back in from time to time to this post because I will continue to add to this list!